O lixo na praia de São Tomé – Salvador - Bahia

Abstract

A major goal of environmental education is to enable humans to understand the complex nature of the environment resulting from the interaction of its biological, physical, social and cultural rights. The most important feature of environmental education is that it points to specific problems, allowing individuals of any group or social level to understand the issues which affect the welfare of individuals and communities, elucidate their causes and determine how to solve them. Due to the large amount of trash on Sao Tomé beach there was a necessity to understand the local dynamics, considering it is a recreational area and serves as a means of income for many families. We used questionnaires with open and closed questions, with fifty-five people participating. Finally, we addressed the need for Environmental Educational programs, including ways to reduce rubbish left on the beaches, since sun bathers, vendors and the community in general have shown interest and were receptive to the interviews and had very little knowledge regarding the extent of the problems. Measures suggested include, among others, making people aware of the problem, conducting beach cleaning operations and providing more rubbish bins.